Illuminated sign



Jan. 7, 1936. w. BfPlPr-:R

` ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed Sept. 27, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ima/Wto@ Jan.7, 1936.

Filed spt. 27, 1934 W. B. PIPER ILLUMINATED SIGN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Jan. 7,' 1936 u UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 11 Claims. (CLAifi-130) My invention relates to anilluminated sign, of the type usingneon and similar electrically energized bright colored gases and has-for its object the. production of insignia, such as raised` letters,

numbers and other irregular objects from glass,

bymolding such insignia, thereby making quantity production feasible.

Most of the signs of this type now in commercial use are made from classtubing /which has to be bent to the desired shape and this method doesnot lend itself readily to cheap quantity production.

A further object is to provide hollow molded glass insignia, having sucha structure that every portion `can be illuminated.

Referring. to the drawings for a more complete `disclosure of theinvention,

Fig. l is a front view of acompleted box shaped sign, Fig. 2 is a rearview of Fig. -1 with a fragment of the back plate ofthe box removed,

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of a slightly modied form,comparable in part to a section along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 isa fragmentary horizontal section along the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, l k ^Fig.5 is,a fragmentary sectlon'along the line 5-5ofFig.l,

Fig. ,6 presents a group of-views of various let- ,3o ters lshowing thepath of the illuminating gas, and

Fig. 7 is a section of a modifledform with two gas tubes for differentcolored gases.

Each letter I, when assembled forms a complete unit and is provided with'a positive and negative electrode 2 and 3, suitably connected to a highfrequency transformer 4, the various units of the sign beingelectrically connected in series. A

I permanent sign of the type shown in Fig. 1 is made by clamping eachunit I in the box 5 by ,40 means of the strips 6, secured to the top andbottom of the box 5 by bolts.

The construction shown in Fig. 3, is particularly adapted for signs, theletters of which are changed from time to time, as in theater marquees.Here each illuminated unit I, is supported in a closed box 5 andprovided on' the back,with a glass or-porcelain plate 1. Y

' In making the letters I, which have a hollow V Achannel I3 for theilluminating gas, I provide a separate mold for `each type of letter. Inorder to completely illuminate every, loop' or branch of certainletters,itis necessary' to locate th 'electrodes at a certain point, providepartitions in the channels of some of the letters at certain points, tosuitably direct the current and also provide jumper channels or shuntsin other letters.

In letters of the alphabet, 'such as C, G, I, J, L, M. N, S, U, V, W andZ, uniform illumination can he had by connecting an. electrode at eachend of the letter, for in such a case, each letter is in the nature of acontinuous channel and without any branches with closed ends, or closedloop portions. Where the insignia as shown by way of example in Fig. 6have abranchfIIlfwith 10 a closed end, or, a closed loop Il, byemploying my invention, every portion of the letter can be illuminated.'Taking the letter A, for example, one electrode I2 is inserted in theend of a branch III, a partition I5 closes one end of the'hollow 15cross piece I6, another partition I5 closes the other end, a hollowshunt or jumper channel I8, in the back of the letter connects thelowerend of one branch I0 with one end of the cross piece I6. and at theother end is the other electrode 20 I1. By this construction there isonly one path, through which the current passes and that path traversesevery portion of the gas channel I3, of the letter that is to beilluminated. The necessity Afor a vconstruction of this character arises25 out.of the fact that if there are two independent `channelsthroughwhich the current may pass from one electrode to the other, itwill pass 'through the shorter channel leaving the longer channel notilluminated. The arrows show the direction of the current through thegas channel of the hollow glass letter. In the other letters, shown inFig. 6, the same reference numerals I2 and I1, indicate the electrodes,I5 indicates the partitions, I8 thejumper channels and the 35 arrowsindicate the direction 'of'the current.

` The glass letters, are made in a mold press and comprise a front plateportion I9, raised portions 20, which give the configuration to theletter, hol` low channels I3 back of the raised portions for 40 theilluminating gas and transverse partitions I5 that are molded anintegral portion of the letter or channel. The back plate 2I -is moldedseparately and the jumper channels I8 are molded as an integral part ofthe plate. The back plate 45 2| and the front plate I9 while still hotare taken -from the molding presses and placed one on top of the other,the temperature of the plates being such as that they fuse together atthe contacting surfaces, thereby hermetically sealing the chan- 50 nelsI'3` and I8. The back plate 2| is provided with outstanding edges '22between which the front plate 2| loosely fits and a bead 4I andcooperating groove accurately position the two plates relative to eachother. The cooperating 56 the glass of the plate tightly molded aroundthem.

Thereafter the electrode shells 24 are inserted in position in thetubes, which are closed by squeezing the ends of the tubes around thestem 25 of the electrodes. In order to hold the opaque plates 26 inposition, apertures 21 may be molded in the front plate, the plates 26being held in position by the bent over metal strips 28. It will beunderstood that the remaining portion of the face of the unit or sign,that is not to be illuminated, will be covered by another metal plate29.

'I'he rear face of the back plate 2| may be silvered in order to reflectthe rearward radiation toward the front and increase the eiliciency ofthe illumination. The front face of the letters may be coated withtranslucent enamel of such color and quality as to give the desiredoptical effect.

The connecting terminals 3B are connected with the electrodes 24 throughthe leads 3| passing through apertures 32 in the plate 1.

ABymolding a partition 38 throughout the length of the gas channel, asshown in Fig. 7, to provide two separate channels, eachwith its ownelectrodes and cimuits, different colored gases may be introduced intothe separate channels.

The channels in the letters will be evacuated and then filled with theilluminating gas through a suitable opening in the panel which willafterv be readily used in the making of any kind of al sign.

I claim:

1. An illuminated molded glass sign comprising a front plate providedwith an insignia, a rear plate fused to the front plate, a hermeticallysealed gas channel between the plates and behind the insignia forilluminating the insignia, a transverse partition molded in the gaschannel to close it and a jumper channel molded in the rear plate andincircuit at each end with the gas channel on opposite sides of thepartition.

2. An illuminated molded glass sign comprising as a unit, an internalhermetically sealed channel, shaped to the outline of a character, forcontaining an illuminating gas, a transverse partition molded'in thechannel to close it and a jumper channel molded in the unit and incircuit A back surface an open channel in the shape of a characterA anda transverse partition molded in the channel, a rear plate of glasshaving molded vin its front surface an open jumper channel, the

open part of the character 'channel and the edge of the partition beingdisposed against the face of the rear plate and the open part of thejumper ,channel being disposed against the back ofthe front plate, thetwo channels being in circuit with each other to provide a passage forilluminating gas, the two plates being fused together at theircontacting faces, inlet and outlet openings for the iiow of an electriccurrent through the said channels, the channel forming the outline ofthe character having a plurality of differently directed portions, oneportion being separated from the other by the partition and connected bythe jumper channel, to make a continuous one way channel of the saidportions between the inlet and outlet openings, whereby the circuittraverses every section of the passage.

4. An illuminated molded glass sign comprising a front plate of glasshaving molded in its back surface an open channel in the shape of acharacter and a transverse partition molded in the channel, a rear plateof glass having molded in its front surface an open jumper channel, theopen part of the character channel and the edge of the partition beingdisposed against the face of the rear plate and the open part of thejumper channel being disposed against the back of the front plate, thetwo channels being in circuit with each otherto provide a. passage forilluminating gas, the two plates being fused together at theircontacting faces, inlet and outlet openings for the flow of an electriccurrent through the said channels, the channel forming the outline ofthe characterhaving a plurality of differently directed portions, oneportion being separated from the other by the partition and connected bythe jumper channel, to make a continuous one Way channel of the saidrortions between the inlet and outlet openings, whereby the circuittraverses every section of the passage and means for aligning the twoplates to bring the two channels in proper juxtaposition.

5. An illuminated molded glass sign comprising a front plate of glasshaving molded in its back surface an open channel in the shape of acharacter, a rearplate of glass with electrode openings molded therein,the open part oi the character channel being disposed against the rearpanel to provide a passage for illuminating gas, the electrode openingsbeing in communication with the character channel, glass electrode tubesmolded in the electrode openings, the two panels being fused together attheir contacting faces into 'a unit.

6. An illuminated molded glass sign comprising a front plate of glasshaving molded in its back surface an open channel in the shape of acharacter, a rear plate of glass with electrode openings molded therein,the-openpart of the character channel being disposed against the rearpanel to provide a passage for illuminating gas, the electrode openingsbeing in communication with the character channel, glass electrode tubesmolded in the electrode openings, the two plates being 'fused togetherat their contacting faces into a unit and means for aligning the twoplates to bring the channel and openings into proper juxtaposition. f

7. An illuminated molded glass sign comprising a front plate of glasshaving molded in its back surface an open channel in the shape of acharacter,' and a transverse partition molded in the channel, a rearvplate of glass-having molded in v its front face an open jumper channel,the open part of the character channel and the transverse partitionbeing disposed against `the face of the rear plate and the open part oft e jumper channel being disposed against the back of the front plate,the Jumper channel being in circuit at each end with the characterchannel and on opposite ing a front plate of glass having molded initsin its front face an open jumper channel, the

open part of the character channel and the transverse partition beingdisposed against the face of the rear plate and the open part of thejumper channel being disposed against the back of `the front plate, thejumper channel being in circuit at each end with the character channeland on opposite sides of the partition to provide a pas sage forilluminating gas, the two plates being fused together at theircontacting faces, inlet` and outlet openings for the ow of an electriccurrent through the said channels and means for aligning the two platesto bring the two channels into proper juxtaposition.

9. .An illuminated molded glass sign comprising a back plate and a frontplate fused together on their contacting faces, a channel inthe shapeIof a character inone of the plates, interengaging means between the twoplates for aligning them so that they may be in proper juxtapositionwhen fused together, one of the plates having outstanding edges betweenwhich the other plate ilts and a cooperating bead and groove on theplates to accurately position the two plates relative to each other andassure a perfect fusion between the plates.

'10. An illuminated molded glass sign comprisback surface an openchannel forming the outline of a character, having a plurality ofdinerently directed and intersecting portions, means for converting thesaid portions into a continuous one way channel and comprising a rearplate of glass having molded in its front surface an open jumper channelconnected at its ends to the said character channel, the open part ofthe character channel being disposedy against the front of the rearplate and the open part of the jumper channel being disposed against theback of the front plate, the two plates being fused together into a unitand inlet and outlet openings for the flow of an electric currentthrough all of the said channels. l

11. An illuminated molded glass sign comprising a front plate of glasshaving molded in its back surface an open channelyforming the outline ofa character, having a plurality of differently directed and intersectingportions.` means for converting the said portions into a 'continuous oneway channel and comprising a rear plate of Y glass having molded in itsfront surface an open wnmmn. Pirna.

